Literary Themes

Literary Themes



 Ambition  Immortality  Progress – real or

 Jealousy  Individual versus illusion

 Beauty Loneliness society  Quest for discovery

 Betrayal  Inner versus outer  Quest for power

 Love strength  Rebirth

 Courage  Injustice  Reunion

 Loyalty  Isolation  Role of men

 Duty (filial piety)  Isolationism -  Role of Religion –

hazards virtue or hypocrisy

 Perseverance  Knowledge versus  Role of women

 Fear ignorance  Self – inner and

 Prejudice  Loneliness as outer

 Freedom destructive force  Self-awareness

 Suffering  Losing hope  Self-preservation

 Happiness  Loss of innocence  Self-reliance

 Truth  Lost honor  Social mobility

 Greed  Lost love  Technology in

 Pride  Love and sacrifice society – good or bad

 Hate  Man against nature  Temporary nature of

 Everlasting love  Manipulation physical beauty

 Evils of racism  Materialism as  Temptation and

 Facing darkness downfall destruction

 Facing reality  Motherhood  Totalitarianism

 Fading beauty  Names – power and  Vanity as downfall

 Faith versus doubt significance  Vulnerability of the

 Family – blessing or  Nationalism – meek

curse complications  Vulnerability of the

 Fate and free will  Nature as beauty strong

 Fear of failure  Necessity of work  War – glory,

 Female roles  Oppression of necessity, pain,

 Fulfillment women tragedy

 Good versus bad  Optimism – power or  Will to survive

 Greed as downfall folly  Wisdom of

 Growing up – pain or  Overcoming – fear, experience

pleasure weakness, vice  Working class

 Hazards of passing  Patriotism – positive struggles

judgment side or complications  Youth and beauty

 Heartbreak of  Power and  Beauty of simplicity

betrayal corruption  Capitalism – effect

 Heroism – real and  Power of silence on the individual

perceived  Power of tradition  Change of power -

 Hierarchy in nature  Power of wealth necessity

 Identity crisis  Power of words  Change versus

 Illusion of power  Pride and downfall tradition

 Chaos and order  Companionship as  Destruction of

 Character – salvation beauty

destruction, building  Convention and  Disillusionment and

up rebellion dreams

 Circle of life  Dangers of ignorance  Displacement

 Coming of age  Darkness and light  Empowerment

 Communication –  Death – inevitable or  Emptiness of

verbal and nonverbal tragedy attaining false dream

 Desire to escape